He sat in prison for five years, punished for a crime he didnt commit. Freed last May after the victim admitted she had falsely accused him, the former USC recruit has been trying patiently but persistently to get a shot at the NFL.

Finally, hes getting one.

Jay Glazer of FOX, who has worked extensively with Banks to get him into NFL shape, reports that the Atlanta Falcons have signed Banks to a contract.

Banks, a linebacker, received tryouts last year from the Seahawks, Chargers, and Chiefs. Eventually, he joined the UFL  and then the UFL promptly imploded.

The NFL wont be imploding any time soon. But the road for Banks remains steep.

Teams may have up to 90 players on the roster in the offseason. Hell now have to earn one of 53 regular-season spots or, failing that, one of eight jobs on the practice squad.

But at least he finally has a chance. We wish him well as he tries to make the most of it.

I'm guessing that she copped a plea to come clean in return for immunity and anonymity.

The accuser contacted him via Facebook after he got out of prison. He arranged to meet her and recorded their conversation which is what led to his exoneration.

She sued the school district because the fake crime was on school grounds. She long ago blew through the 1.5 million dollar settlement, has never married and has two kids. The citizens of the area are very interested in getting their money back, but alas, it's gone. I don't know if anyone is looking to file charges against her.

22
posted on 04/04/2013 8:50:13 AM PDT
by Pan_Yan
(I love it when spell check selects every single word in my post.)

I have the gut feeling that his parents couldnt afford a high priced criminal attorney.

He was 17 when his attorney tried to get him to make a plea deal. He refused because he hadn't done anything. She then told him he could take the five years in jail for a "no contest" please or face 40 to life. She told him he had to decide right then and couldn't even call his mother first.

His lawyer was scum who didn't want to go to trial and she won't discuss the case with anyone.

23
posted on 04/04/2013 8:53:28 AM PDT
by Pan_Yan
(I love it when spell check selects every single word in my post.)

The one reason I don’t like plea deals is for cases like this (and many others I am sure). Both attorneys... the defense and prosecution essentially “win” a case. They prop up their win portfolio on the backs of the innocent. My oldest will be 17 pretty soon... I can’t imagine him facing “plead no contest and serve 5 or cling to your innocence and do 40”. A grown man would have difficulty with that type of decision much less a teenager.

I hope his then lawyer (now judge) is ruined on a professional basis. I read a short article that said there was interest in a book or movie deal. Good! Sometimes bad cases like this can bring some light on a dark subject IMHO.

I saw this story on 20/20 (i think) She sends him a message on facebook wanting to reconnect after the 5 years in prison. He decides to go along and get her to admit things on tape. Then he gets her to another meeting. I was hoping they would ask what motivated her to do this. It was bizarre and not even asked by the accused. The reporter didn’t even ask him “why do you think she did this to you?” I was waiting for that question and answer but it never came. If this had happened to most people, the first thing they would ask after 5 years is “WHY did you do this to me?”

During the first meeting, when he asked her if she would be willing to recant and clear his name she said “I don’t know, WE, (she corrects herself) I mean I, would have to pay all this money back. It would take a long time.

Go to your local library and check out “The Innocent Man” by John Grisham (non-fiction), read that tale of specious behavior by LE personel, review the Duke case and a few others then go ahead and post your comment a second time because your statement is so axiomatic.

Ever heard of Barry Sheck and the “Innocence Project”?????

Comments like yours give all of us Conservatives a bad name. (or are you a troll?)

I would guess that his lawyer, in addition to being the usual bloodsucking scumbag who wanted to enhance her resume with a win, is also a hard core feminazi who figured that Banks was still guilty of something on account of being a male.

Girls never lie about rape allegations, you know.

I also can't help but wonder if she got a piece of the 1.5 million $$$ settlement. It seems like that's an awfully large amount of money for one individual to blow through in roughly seven years. My tastes are so frugal that I'd have an awfully hard time spending $200K or so per year even if I tried.

29
posted on 04/04/2013 12:13:42 PM PDT
by Vigilanteman
(Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)

It seems like that's an awfully large amount of money for one individual to blow through in roughly seven years. My tastes are so frugal that I'd have an awfully hard time spending $200K or so per year even if I tried.

If you get a check with seven figures all kinds of relatives, friends and other needy and worthy individuals will show up to help you with it.

Not piling on you with the others here, just wanted to relate my personal experience.

Someone very close to was falsely accused of a crime, the PD was beyond incompetent, and the supposed "victim" was himself a lawyer.

I was by my friends side through the while thing, and I can tell you that they scared the holy he77 out of my friend, who plead "No Contest" because they didnt want even the slightest chance of going to jail, because this person had young kids. My friend was, and still is, a Conservative, and we both had thought that most people who pled out were obviously guilty.

What I learned through that fiasco is that there is Justice, and then there is the "Legal System". Very loosely related. Its a game, a sport between both sides, and its dirty when you get down to the nitty gritty.

No way was my friend willing to take a chance. Ended up being under house arrest (ankle monitor) for 2 years, and probation for 5. Even had to pay some money back to the "aggrieved".

It was a total farce, and I will never view the "Legal System" again.

31
posted on 04/04/2013 12:49:30 PM PDT
by Paradox
(Unexpected things coming for the next few years.)

A family friend very close to us had his six kids taken away and would have had them broken up into foster homes if my wife and I hadn't stepped in to take charge while he fought groundless charges by some lying little tart that he had sexually molested her.

It was a groundless, baseless lie to get back at his youngest daughter for some perceived insult. The little tart had been involved in this kind of crap before.

Our friend was repeatedly offered a plea bargain to a lesser charge, but he ended up fighting it. It ruined him financially. He lost his home, his job and eventually had to move to another state. But he was eventually completely exonerated and managed to keep his family together and start a new life. I'll never get over the disgust with how the legal system turned his life upside down when even a minimum effort in checking the little tart's claims would have proved the charges were bogus.

Nothing ever happened to his accuser. Her parents were trailer trash who couldn't have paid a judgment even if he had gotten one. They drank up every spare penny and went to the gubmint for more.

Financially, I have no doubt that he would have been better off by taking the plea bargain. But his kids and reputation were more important to him than than his finances.

33
posted on 04/04/2013 2:13:06 PM PDT
by Vigilanteman
(Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)

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